First John week 1

Introduction to First John and Chapter one

First John Introduction

 The context in which John wrote:
 The churches to whom John wrote had those within
their midst who began to spread false teaching.
 This was an early form of Gnosticism. This was not
full blown as we know it today. It was in the birthing
stage if you will.


 False Teaching:
 Believed only the initiated could have salvation. You
had to have a “special knowledge” in order to be a part.
 Believed Jesus was not a real person but only appeared
to be a real person.
 They believed this because matter was evil (the flesh)
and the spirit was good. Therefore they divine could not
be in a human body. Jesus could not be the God-man,
God incarnate.
 Knowledge was king. If you did not have their super
secret knowledge you did not have salvation.


 Assurance, the theme of  First John 5:13: “I write
First John, is always these things to you who
based in the present not believe in the name of
in the past. In order to the Son of God that you
have assurance we may KNOW that you
need to examine our have eternal life.”
everyday lives.


 John is writing to a community of believers whose
faith had been shaken by some within their midst
who adhered to a false view of Jesus and they began
to teach this with in their midst.
 John then writes to assure this community that what
they were taught from the beginning was true and
these teachers were false.
 We can KNOW that we have salvation. This is not an
issue we have to flip flop on. We can have certainty.


 Assurance starts with who Jesus is and what He has
done for us
 Jesus was a real historical person (1:1-3)
 Jesus is God (1:3, 2:1,5:20)
 He proclaims truth (1:5)
 He is the believers propitiation (2:2, 4:10)
 An expression of God the Father’s Love (4:9)
 Because of Jesus we have no fear of punishment
(4:17-18)

First John Introduction:
Style of Writing

Chapter Five

Chapter Four

Chapter Three

Chapter Two

Chapter
One

The BIG Three

 John writes and gives us three tests to give us
assurance:
 Truth (What one believes about Jesus)
 Obedience (How does one respond to Jesus)
 Love (Love for God WILL lead to love of others)

 It is important to remember that if one fails one of
these tests they fail ALL three of them. Remember
John writes so they may KNOW they have eternal
life.

Three Tests: Truth

 In order to have assurance of salvation we must start
with the purchaser of salvation: Jesus. If you have an
incorrect view of who Jesus is and what He has done
you can have no assurance. (Slide 3 Reviewed)
 False Teachers: Did not believe Jesus really came in the
flesh. Flesh, the material world, could not mix with
divinity in their view.
 Salvation came not from the accomplished work of
Jesus and His person but through special knowledge.

Three Tests: Obedience

 The indicative (truth) before the imperative
(command)
 Example in 1:5-7
 How does one respond to who Jesus is?
 Walk in the light as He in the light (1:5-7)
 Obey Him 2:4-6
 Practice righteousness (3:7-10). Verse ten tells us it is
evident who are the children of God by the way they
practice righteousness.

Three Tests: Love

 A Christian will have love for God which will be
manifest in their love for others.
 Love is active (3:16-18)
 Whoever does not love God has not been born of God
(4:7)
 If we do not love our brother who we can see we
cannot claim to love God who we cannot see (4:12)
 Whoever abides in love abides on God and God abides
in them (4:16)

Tying it all Together

 How should we respond to what we have learned?
 Love Jesus for what He has done on our behalf.
 Obey Jesus as a natural response to Him being our
Lord.
 Love others.

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Time for a break!

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Chapter One

 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-- 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-- 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.

Chapter One

 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. If we say we have fellowship with him
while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is
not in us.
(1Jn 1:1-10)

Chapter 1:1-4

 That which was from the beginning:
 It is important to remember this is a letter, an Epistle,
to churches throughout Asia Minor. The salutation,
greeting, is not usual such as Paul (See Galatians 1:1-5)
 What does this phrase mean?
 Out of the many options from the context it seems that
John is talking about Jesus and His incarnate life.
 What is the incarnation? Simply put it is God the Son
taking on human flesh thereby becoming the God-man

Chapter 1:1-4

 In these verses John stresses the point that he saw
Jesus, heard Jesus and touched Jesus. Why would he
do this?
 Going back to the introduction remember John was
writing against false teachers who did not have a true
belief in Jesus.
 In their thinking Jesus could not be both God and man
at the same time. Man was flesh and the flesh was evil
therefore the divine could not be intertwined with the
flesh.

Chapter 1:1-4

 John gives two reasons for proclaiming what he
does:
 First he wants his readers to have fellowship with him
and the other Apostles.
 The second reason is that his readers would have
fellowship with God the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ.

Chapter 1:1-4

 “Our” or “Your” that is the question.
 Translation of verse 4. Some translations have our and
some have your. Does it really matter which one we
use and does it do harm to the meaning?
 A pastoral perspective and joy in the flock having
assurance.

Chapter 1:5-10

 Assurance comes from the character of God:
 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. (5)
 What does it mean that God is light?
 The context of this verse falls in a passage where John is
addressing the reality of sin and the believers need to
confess it.
 Light refers to God’s holiness or His moral perfection.
 God is light therefore there is no darkness in Him.
Literally translated this reads “darkness in him no is
none. If light refers to holiness darkness refers to sin.

Chapter 1:5-10

 Assurance comes from a Biblical and Correct view of Sin.
 In this passage specifically verses 6,8, and 10 John gives
three counterclaims to show how the false teachers view
of sin was unbiblical.
 Verse 6: The false teachers believed they had fellowship
with God, but their lives did not evidence that. They were
lying and not practicing the truth.
 Verse 8: Those who claim to be without sin deceive
themselves and the truth is not in them.
 Verse 10: If anyone claims to have not sinned we say God is
a liar and His truth is not in us.

Chapter 1:5-10

 In this passage about the reality of sin hope springs
forth in verse 9:
 Confession is agreeing with God that sin is sin and an
affront to His holy character.
 If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins. (See Jeremiah 31:34)
 How is God faithful and just in forgiving those who
sinned against Him? JESUS
 See Romans 3:20-28

Chapter 1:5-10

 The Christian Walk:
 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.
 Our vertical relationship with God will bend outwards
horizontally with others.
 Two effects of walking in the light:
 Fellowship with one another
 The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Assurance: Tying it Together

 If John writes so his readers have assurance; how do
these 10 verses relate to that theme?
 In 1-4 we see our assurance comes from having a
Biblical , true, belief of Jesus Christ. This is the bedrock
and starting point for assurance.
 In verse 5 assurance comes from the character of God.
John assures them the message he proclaims is the on
he received from Jesus and proclaims. John from the
beginning points these wave battered believers to the
character of God.

Assurance: Tying it Together

 Assurance comes from a biblically correct view of
sin. All have sinned, all fall short, and sin is an
affront, an offense, to the holy character of the
Father.
 We are to walk in the light as God is in the light.
 Confess our sins. A believer will desire to confess sin
when they do. God is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It has been a pleasure to have you.
Website: www.gccmadison.org
Facebook: www.facbook.com/gritgcc
Twitter: @_GRIT
#timetogetgritty

First John week 1

First John week 1

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First John week 1