The Bible Series 1 John
Notes
Transcript
False teaching or false teachers are those who (often very subtle and quietly) either take away from or try to add to the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
When we add or take away we find that there is an opening in our lives for either subtle or blatant sin to be excused and unaddressed
Peter has stressed that our belief creates behavior… John today will continue this train of through in a very real way
Our understanding and belief of WHO Jesus is and WHAT He did is vital.
John in his gospel introduces Jesus in a powerful way
The Word
The Light
The Life
John at the close of his gospel would declare: “these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (MESSIAH), the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Letter Information
Letter Information
1 John 1:1-10 does not open like your typical letter… BUT HE DOES START FROM THE BEGINNING!
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Although this is a letter we do not see the typical salutation or close, we find it structured more like a sermon…
In fact… John does not identify himself as the writer
Church history, the style of writing and many similarities with his gospel identify John as the one who penned this letter
It would be circulated, most likely written from Ephesus to the surrounding churches in Asia and the seven churches in Revelation
Written to: Believers in Christ Jesus
Children, Young Men, Fathers…
John is described in scripture as the one beloved of Jesus and also as one of the “sons of thunder”… we see both a caring approach mixed with fiery passion and direct bold statements
Comparisons to Gospel of John
John once again powerfully describes Christ in forms such as “The Word, Light, Life…”
In John gives his Purpose for writing them… multiple times concluding with the greatest PURPOSE:
These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
John uses a very simple and limited vocabulary in this letter (just as he did in his gospel)
He utilizes the contrast of opposites and parallelisms that would be familiar with people
Yet… John unpacks for us some of the most profound concepts in scripture!!!
light vs. darkness,
truth vs. falsehood,
love vs. hatred,
love of the world vs. love of the Father,
Christ vs. antichrists,
children of God vs. children of the Devil,
righteousness vs. sin,
the Spirit of God vs. the spirit of the Antichrist,
life vs. death.
Short yet packed… “elephant toothpaste” as John builds and cements the necessity for FELLOWSHIP IN THE BELIEVERS LIFE… WITH GOD & OTHER BELIEVERS
FELLOWSHIP:
: association involving close mutual relations and involvement, a companionship with or belonging to a community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience, there is a common union.
Fellowship is a descriptor of quality friendship or relationship.
False teachers known for their teaching of Gnosticism:
False teachers known for their teaching of Gnosticism:
The Gnostic heresy taught that matter is inherently evil, and a divine being therefore could not take on human flesh.
This resulted in the distinction between the man Jesus and the spiritual Christ who came upon Jesus at His baptism but departed prior to His crucifixion.
Another variation was the doctrine that Christ only seemed to have a human body.
The result in both cases was the same—a flat denial of the Incarnation.
The Gnostics also believed that their understanding of the hidden knowledge (gnosis) made them a kind of spiritual elite,
They saw themselves above the normal distinctions of right and wrong determining for themselves.
This led in most cases to deplorable conduct and complete disregard for Christian ethics a lifestyle of SIN!!!
HOLMAN STATES: These heresies led to certain false behaviors, in particular a denial of the seriousness of sin. John wrote not only to correct these dangers but also to give positive encouragement about true beliefs and true Christian behavior, centered around fellowship with Jesus Christ.
1 John Overview
1 John Overview
John reiterates the same truth that we saw in Peter’s letters… BELIEF creates BEHAVIOR, and BEHAVIOR has Consequences...
John lays out the importance of our FELLOWSHIP
(1) With God through Christ
(2) With One Another
(3) How Fellowship Protects Against False Doctrine
John immediately reminds his readers of two very important teachings, that of the Incarnation and Propitiation...
INCARNATION:
: that act of grace, whereby God the Son took our human nature into union with His Divine Person, & became man. Christ is both God and man.
IF… “matter is sinful”,
THEN Jesus could not have a material body or He would be sinful
THEN … humans are sinful because we have material bodies rather than a sin nature
This would silent those who would say that Jesus was just a spirit
John stated we saw him, he was manifested, and existed prior… HE IS GOD
PROPITIATION:
: means to satisfy the wrath of God against sin, to turn away God’s wrath, or to offer a sacrifice that appeases God’s just judgment and righteous anger against us and our sin.
Jesus is not simply “the propitiator” but the “propitiation.” He is what satisfies the justice of God.
Jesus spilled His Blood for our sin in bodily form NOT “spirit form”
God incarnate took the wrath of God upon Himself!
Sin was dealt with at Calvary… this allowed for FELLOWSHIP with God!
The world can hinder our fellowship:
The world can hinder our fellowship:
Like Peter John calls on believers to recall what they know and have been taught… to combat the teachings and desires of the world!
I 1 John 2:15-17 we see one of the clearest descriptions of worldliness…
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
John counters this with love for the world with expressing to them with the heart of a shepherd (“my children” or “little children”) things that CREATE FELLOWSHIP with God:
Walk in the Light… Fellowship with God: John stresses the importance maintaining a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Keep God’s commandments… know what the scriptures declare
Confession of sins… John teaches that proximate to God, abiding in Him is what keeps us from sin
When we do sin we break fellowship
Because of Christ we can confess our sins and He is faithful to forgive us
We cannot have both FELLOWSHIP with God and walk in SIN
Abide (setup home) in truth in Christ… it is day in and day out
Fellowship with God is not a vague and it can be a daily reality for believers.
John sets forth at least three tests which can act as a “fellowship barometer” for believers in their daily walk with God:
(1) Have I confessed all known sins to God? (1 John 1:9)
(2) Am I walking in obedience to the light of God’s Word? (1 John 2:4–5)
(3) Am I demonstrating a love for the brethren? (1 John 2:9–10)
John gives us an Assurance of salvation: John provides tests of genuine faith to help believers have confidence in their salvation.
Like David in the Psalms we need to cry out before God, “search me, O God, and know my heart… point out anything in me that offends You”
As we remain in close FELLOWSHIP with Him He will show us these things.
John speaks to another aspect of our FELLOWSHIP… Our Love for one another:
John speaks to another aspect of our FELLOWSHIP… Our Love for one another:
The letter repeatedly emphasizes the command to love one another as a crucial mark of true Christian faith.
Look what he says in 1 John 3:23
This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
He explains the necessity for the believer to be engaged with other believers, to love other believers, to to come into a a common union or unity in our faith.
Our Fellowship brings Discernment of truth:
Our Fellowship brings Discernment of truth:
The epistle warns against false teachers and antichrists
(those in opposition to Christ)
They detract, and deminsih WHO Christ is and WHAT He has done
He encourages believers to test the spirits and adhere to sound doctrine
The letter encourages believers to confess their sins and rely on Christ's righteousness.
John emphasizes that eternal life is found in Jesus Christ alone.
These false teachings and teachers come and destroys first and foremost the fellowship that we have with God Almighty, because it attacks the very Son of God who brings us into this fellowship and into this relationship with God.
Overcoming the World
Overcoming the World
I want to close on a victory note today as we wrap up this book and remember the Lord’s Table (Communion)
John makes a powerful declaration in 1 John 5:1-4
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Christians have fellowship with Christ, who is God incarnate, through walking in the light and through living in love, and as a result they are secure in the eternal life that Christ has given them.
Six Times… in the final seven verses John makes statements to “that you may know” or “we know”… he does not want them to be in the dark or uniformed as to this FELLOWSHIP we are called into!
If John had a mic I imagine he would state his closing statement and drop it… he ends just as abruptly as he begins this letter… “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
Almost 2000 years later we gather to remember and take Communion…
A COMMON UNION we have in Christ (fellowship)
BREAD… remembering His Incarnation in Bodily form and that body broken for you and I
CUP… the Propitiation, His blood shed for our sin, His atoning work at Calvary
We remember Truth and come together in fellowship, reminding one another He has promised He will return!
