1 John 1

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How can you know that you have eternal life?

In this series, we will be answering this question. As John is wrapping up His first letter by saying:

1 John 5:13 ESV

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

This is the point of the first letter. This letter is the magnifying glass through which you should examine yourself to make sure you are in the faith. If at any point in time I read something, and you are convicted, You tell me or you tell your leader. The purpose of this youth group is to grow you in your knowledge and love of God.

However, this can’t happen if you don’t have that saving knowledge and love that only comes from God. Ensuring you have eternal life is priority, and joining the Holy Spirit along with helping you be conformed to the image of Christ post conversion, is our next priority.

John speaks harshly throughout his letters, and that is because we are talking about literal life and death. This is the most serious thing we can ever talk about. With that being said:

What are we doing this series?

We are going to go through not 1, not 2, but 3 whole books of the Bible. Granted, 2nd and 3rd john are only a chapter a piece, This will still be a massive accomplishment. All of this will be building on each other, if you miss one, all of our lessons are on the Faithlife app. If you have questions on how to use that just let me know! This will be a verse by verse read through so buckle up.

1 John 1:1 ESV

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

Emphasis drawn to this phrase, the word of Life. What is the word of life? or better yet, who is the word of life? Jesus Christ is the word of life. John opens up this letter quite similarly to His Gospel.

That which was from the beginning, the word of life was in the beginning with God.

Which we have heard, They heard this word of God speak, and teach, and proclaim that the kingdom of God.

Which we have seen with our eyes, the disciples had a first hand account of Jesus, the son of God. The perfect life he lived, all of the miraculous things that he performed, they saw it all first hand with their own eyes.

not only that, but they touched him with their own hands, as if seeing and hearing him weren't enough. They touched Him and ate with Him. Jesus was fully God. But He is also fully man, as we see clearly laid out for us hear.

1 John 1:2 ESV

the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

Eternal life was made manifest. What do we rememeber from John 17?

John 17:3 ESV

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

This eternal life is knowing God. That He is creator, He is the one true God, and He is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. Know that you are a sinner in need of grace that is only shown to us in Jesus Christ. This eternal life

1 John 1:2 ESV

the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

Was made manifest or revealed to us in the God Man Jesus Christ

1 John 1:3–4 ESV

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This news, this good news, this event that happened. The miracles, the teachings, the casting out of demons, this brutal murder of the Son of God and the Father pouring out His wrath on Him for because of and for sinners.

We proclaim these things to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. There are many reasons that we should proclaim the gospel. We are comanded to. We have been given the privilage to participate in this ministry of reconciliation. To see sinners saved. But this one is different than we have talked about before. I am sharing the gospel so that you can have fellowship with us. So that when you are saved, we can be apart of the body of Christ together. So we can worship God together, so we can live life in the midst of this persecution together, so we can die and live with God in eternal glory together. See a reason to share the gospel among many other is to expand those that you have fellowship with. In doing so, our joy may be complete.

Loving the gospel and sharing the gospel completes our joy.

1 John 1:5 ESV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

This is one of the most frightening truths in all of scripture. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. What will he do with those of us that live in the darkness and love the darkness? Our sin?

1 John 1:6 ESV

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

This is very similar to Jesus with fruit talk. You either are bearing good fruit or bad fruit. There's not apple trees growing peaches. Or fig trees growing bananas. The same way, there is no darkness when it comes into contact with the light. And there are no lies when you claim to have the truth. We as Christians have fellowship in truth and the light. We are the body of Christ.

If there is someone who claims to be a christian, if they don’t have that evidence of salvation, then they are a liar.

1 John 1:7 ESV

7 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 cleanses us from all sin.

If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship with each other. A fellowship grounded in spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood. All believers are united in Christ. As the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

People look at this verse and see that in order to be saved, you must perfectly walk in the light, sinlessly without fail.

Are we saved because we walk perfectly in the light?

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

It seems as though John is wanting to clarify himself. See you don’t walk in the light because you are light. You can walk in the light because you have been illuminated. The light of God shown into your dark and sinful heart.

You have been cleansed by the blood of Christ through faith. And if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Because the truth is that we are sinful, we are sinners. And we need grace. Grace that comes into our rebel hard heart and puts in a new heart. With a new life still at odds with the flesh we still sin. But not dead in sin. We have been made alive with Christ. While we struggle with sin still as a constant reminder of our need for Christ, we walk in the light and truth and people that have been illuminated and converted.

1 John 1:9–10 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This is the gospel in 2 verses. We call everyone everywhere to confess and repent of their sins. If they do confess and repent, our Lord is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from all our sin and our unrighteousness. That is how we walk in the light. We have been illuminated by the sacrifice of Christ that has so enabled us to walk in light.

If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar. Jesus was the only man to ever be born perfect. He was also God which is how that was able to happen. He has so said that:

Romans 3:10 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

God is certainly not a liar. God is not in the wrong, you are. Don’t play off sin. Jesus did not come for the healthy but for the sick. He didn’t come for those that are claiming to be righteous but those that know they are sinners.

Demonstration

The worst person to ever live: Hitler, Harod

A good person: Paul, Gandhi

Perfection: Jesus

You

Acknowledge you’re a sinner and confess your sins. There is nothing that you have done that you cannot be forgiven for. Paul killed people. David Slept with another man’s wife and then killed someone. Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times. These people we look at as important figures in the Bible pale in comparison to the glory of Christ. They are justified by grace through faith just like us.

Takeaway

If you claim to be a Christian, you are not like the world. If you claim to know the light and walk in the darkness you are a liar. This is the opening Chapter setting up the book. Examine yourself Christian. There are 2 peoples in this world. Light and Dark. Saved or not saved. Christians or not Christian. If you are a christian, you share this truth with others and invite them into this fellowship that you have experienced. If you examine yourself and find that you’re not a christian, repent ad believe now. Come talk to me and i’ll show you what it means to be a Christian