The
epistle of 1 John, written by John the Apostle, deals with the
subject of—do we know if we are a Christian. 1 John 5:13 MKJV I
have written these things to you who believe on the name of the Son
of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that
you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
How
can we know if we are Christians? Here are some of the points John
writes.
B1 Obedience to God 1 John 2:3-6. Are we obeying the teachings of the
New Testament?
B2 A Life of Love 1 John 2:7-11.
C1 Do we say we love?
C2 Do we show the characteristics of love as written in 1 Corinthians
13:4-8a?
B3 How We Think and Live 1 John 2:12-14. Is what we think and do the
same?
B4 Do We Love the World? 1 John 2:15-17 1 John 2:15-17 MKJV 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, because all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of
God abides forever.
B5 Do We Have Attitude of anti-Christ? 1 John 2:18-19
C1 Do we leave the core doctrines?
C2 Have we become proud?
C3 Do we seek power and control?
C4 Note there is THE anti-Christ, and there are many anti-Christs.
These are wannabes and those having the same attitudes.
C5 They left us.
C6 1 John 2:18-19 BSB Children, it is the last hour; and just as
you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists
have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if
they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their
departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
B6 Do We Affirm That Jesus Is Messiah? 1 John 2:22-23
B7 Are We Faithful to the Teachings of the Bible? 1 John 2:24-25
B8 Do We Continue to Do the Same Sins As Before Saved? 1 John 3:4-10
B9 Do We Love Other Christians? 1 John 3:11-12
B10 Does the World Love Our Christianity? 1 John 3:13-15.
C1 If the world (the nonbelievers) loves our Christianity, something
is wrong.
C2 This does apply to the congregation, but it also applies to me and
you.
B11 Do We Love Others? 1 John 3:16-18. This applies mainly to our
brothers and sisters, so the context teaches. If we can help supply a
need, we must. If we are unable, we can pray. We are a family and are
to help each other.
B12 Do We Have a Clear Conscious? 1 John 3:19-24.
C1 This is not referring to past thoughts, desires, words, and deeds
that have been confessed and forgiven.
C2 Compare the Apostle Paul:
D1 Acts 8:3 NET But Saul was trying to destroy the church;
entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women
and put them in prison.
D2 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NET For I am the least of the apostles,
unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me
has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them - yet
not I, but the grace of God with me.
C3 The evil one often stirs up our memory to torment us, but we KNOW
we are forgiven. Colossians 2:13 BSB When you were dead in your
trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made
you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
B13 Do We Acknowledge That Messiah Came in the Flesh? 1 John 4:1-6.
We must make sure we have the right Jesus as the creeds agree.
B14 Do We Love Our Fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters? 1 John
4:7-12
B15 Do We Want to Preach the Gospel? 1 John 4:13-21
B16 Do We Obey Jesus’s Rules in the New Testament? 1 John 5:1-5.
There are over 1,000 rules for Christians in the New Testament. We
need none other. See Colossians 3 for a number of the rules.
B17 Do We Have Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ Alone? 1 John
5:9-12. Many add some human effort, thought, ritual, etc. It is only,
only through grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
B18 Do We Believe in the Son of God? 1 John 5:13 1 John 5:13 PickNT I
have written these things to you who believe into the name of the Son
of God so that you may know that you have eternal life, really
believing into the name of God's Son. [Emphasis
is added]
B19
Do We Keep Sinning or Is
There a Change? 1 John 5:18.
C1 Compare King Manasseh in 2
Chronicles 33.
C2
Do we and others see a change?
C3 Do they see this change: 1 Peter
2:1-2 ISV Therefore, rid
yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy,
and every kind of slander. 2 Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure
milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation.
Some other topics in 1 John
B1
1 John 2:20-21 The Holy Spirit Teaches Us Truth
B2 1 John 2:26-27 Christians Can Understand the Bible With Help of
the Holy Spirit
B3 1 John 2:28-29 The Need for Perseverance
B4 1 John 3:1-3 Blessing of Being God’s Children
B5 1 John 5:6-8 Jesus Truly Is The Messiah
B6 1 John 5:14-15 God Answers Prayer If It Is His Will
B7 1 John 5:16-17 Helping each other in this life when we sin.
B8 1 John 5:19-20 Identifying the True God.
B9 1
John 5:21 Avoid Idols
2
John deals with a personal
letter urging believers to continue to obey the rules of Jesus
Christ, live in truth, and live in love as exemplified by the Lord
Jesus.
B1
It also gives a stern warning: 2
John 1:9-11 BSB Anyone
who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not
have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the
Son. If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not
receive him into your home or even greet him. Whoever greets such a
person shares in his evil deeds.
B2
We to not want to share in their evil deeds, teaching, actions, etc.
3 John is also a personal letter dealing with leadership. There are
two type of leaders.
B1 The micromanager, the dictator,
the controller, the power seeking person, etc. Their way or no way.
One study I read revealed one of the top 10 occupations for
narcissists is pastoral. If a pastor(?) is like this, we MUST leave
that church. 3
John 1:9-11 BSB I have
written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be
first, will not accept our instruction. 10]So if I come, I will call
attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with
that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want
to do so, even putting them out of the church. 11 Beloved, do not
imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of
God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
B2 The shepherd, like Jesus, is a
delegator, not a dictator. 3
John 1:12 BSB Demetrius
has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth
itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is
true.
Psalms
100:2 ULB Serve Yahweh
with gladness; come before his presence with joyful singing.
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