Working out our salvation: Religion and Relationships

1 John 2:1-29

1 John 2 NET

(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One,and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked. Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have already heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.The one who says he is in the light but still hates his fellow Christian is still in the darkness. The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.But the one who hates his fellow Christian is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, that your sins have been forgiven because of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that you have conquered the evil one.I have written to you, children, that you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you. Now as for you, the anointing that you received from him resides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you reside in him. And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him.

The Subject of Jesus’ Death

God the Father

His anger and wrath

Sin of mankind

Jesus is the Priest and the Lamb

The whole world, but only a few will accept and believe this

The Comprehension of Sin

Presupposition/Assumption of Sin

Original Sin

Rebellion

Lawlessness

Sickness/illness

Brokenness

Commandments/Standards

Wants and Have toos

Love and Fear

Assurance not a guarantee

Obedience over acknowledgement and belief

Faith is an action of obedience to a command or directive based on the evidence that is given or provided (Hebrews 11)

That we know

Do not be deceived

Do not be afraid

Fellowship with each other

Demonstration of Love

Evidence of Love

Expression of Love

Agape - English is Charity, the highest level of Love

Phileo - English is family love or brotherly love

Eros - English is passionate/sexual love

Storge - English is empathy, or compassion or hosiptality

Power of Love

Old and New Commandment

Old in that this is the command of the Old Testament, New in that Jesus the Christ demonstrated what Agape Love truly is by dying on the cross.

Confirmation

Acceptance and Rejection

Anti-Christs

Jesus the Christ

Essentials of the Faith are denied by False Teachers

Challenge

What are we living for? What is our purpose in the here and now? If we are professing belief and faith in God, and yet we choose to disobey and live a life contrary to His teaching, what does this say about our faith? What does this say about the God that we preach? Through the Bible, God tells us who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do, we must simply ask ourselves do we really believe.