Chapter 1
- How to read the Bible properly
- Test if you are a real Christian by verse 1:9, if we say we never sin, we are lying to ourselves, we confess our sins to be cleansed since God is faithful and just
- verses 5-10 is the sin test
Chapter 2
- verse 2:2, he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins
- universalism = bad
- verses 3-6, example of man who does not do this
- this is nothing new, from an old law
- verses 9-11, another light versus dark example
- Jesus showed love in a new way and command disciples to show it
- new because the Spirit enables us to live and love
- new way of doing an old thing
- until the darkness is lifted we do not see light or love
- verses 12-14, difference between children, young men, and elder men
- young men overcome sin/temptation
- the word has to be in you
- verse 15, break away from worldly needs they are not from God
- Possessions are not eternal, but God is eternal
- Anyone or anything not for Christ is against Christ
- be a good citizen!
- Anti-Christs pretend to be among us but have an agenda
- Holy Spirit covers you like olive oil anoints you
- no lies come from the truth
- You buy all three (God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit), its a must!
- verse 23, can’t have one without the other
- IF from the started you believed, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit remain in you
- reason for 1 John is to make sure you are not misled
- The anointing remains in you
- the spirit teaches you, anyone else teaching is supplemental
- verse 27, can’t leave without it!
- We are confident and unashamed through our thoughts and behaviors
Chapter 3
- the Father has lavished great love on us
- we are children of God, dependent on him and we obey and belong
- adopted child in our control is costly and sometimes hard to love, but God adopted all of us
- God is our eternal parent
- World does not know us because they do not know God
- Reference to John 15:18
- verse 3, our hope in him purifies us
- verses 4-6, we know him and he took our sins so we do not sin anymore
- anyone still sinning never really knew him
- righteousness springs from righteous sources (good trees bear good fruit)
- 3 step process to fight sin: #1, seek Holy Spirit and god’s word, #2, avoid tempting situations, #3, seek help from body of Christ
- Enables us not want to sin
- Love one another, not like Cain
- Beware, the world will hate you for being Christian
- Unless we can love, our heart is dead
- verse 15, no murderer has eternal life, hating someone is also murder
- verse 17, share the wealth unlike the man in the gospel
- verse 18, another hypocrite verse
- Reference to Book of James and Esther
- verses 18-24, we obey, we just do it
Chapter 4
- Test every spirit if they are from Christ, some will lie from false prophets
- This is anti-Christ at work, beware of them
- Spirits can lie, so keep testing them, including false prophets
- Christ in you is bigger than anyone in the world
- What do other mature Christians think of that spirit/prophet?
- If they are of God, do they listen to us or the worldly person?
- verses 7-12 are about love and God’s love, non-Christians cannot really love
- God gave us the spirit and we know him, and seen and testify it
- God is love
- His love perfected in us and we are ready for the day of Judgment
- We do not fear God or judgment since he loves us
- verses 19-20, similar to 2:9, if you can’t see God, can’t see his love, you should love whether you see someone or not
- verse 21, love your siblings
Chapter 5
- If we love, we obey his commandments and they are not burdensome
- We are born of God and overcome the world (verse 4)
- 3 ways to testify that Christ is God’s son, #1 water, #2 blood, #3 spirit
- God’s testimony > man’s testimony, we believe and have same testimony in our hearts
- He who has the son, has God and has life
- We believe him and confident in asking him
- Being in God’s will, we ask him what he wants in his will (verse 13-15)
- Pray for those who sinned
- verse 18 refers to Chapter 1
- Those born of God, he keeps them
- verse 21 means NO IDOLS!
