First John A Test of True Faith

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First JohnA Test of True Faith

• Howard Buck
• Overview 11/7/10

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• The book of 1John was written by the Apostle John
  
• What books did he write?...
• The gospel of John, 1, 2 3 John and Revelation.
• John is special among the Apostles for a lot of
  reasons, he is referred to as the Apostle of
  love
• John was very close to Christ
• He lived the longest of all the Apostles
• He was very humble only mentioning his name in
  
• the book of Revelation
• John The Lord is gracious or Grace of the Lord..

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• John is the youngest son of Zebedee Salome
  (brother is James the Apostle)
• He is the youngest disciple, probably in his
  early 20s when called by Jesus
• John came from a well-to-do family, his father
  was the owner of a large fleet of fishing boats
  and they had servants Mark 119-20
• His father was probably influential as evidenced
  by Johns entry into the inner court of the high
  Priest John 1815-16
• His mother was a follower of Jesus Matt. 2756
• He was aggressive showing little tolerance for
  the un-righteous Luke 954
• He grew up in Bethsaida John 144..

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BETHSAIDA
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• With these facts what picture can you draw of
  John?...
• Led the good life having money and servants
• Was a fisherman used to early mornings, long
  hours and hard work
• Was a good Jew (how else would he have access to
  the priests courtyard?)
• As a member of the family business he would have
  been exposed to business management and
  supervision
• John was a common hard working man, without
  higher education..

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• We noted before that John was a special apostle
• He was one of the first disciples called by Jesus
• He showed great faith in leaving all that he knew
  and all of his worldly riches to follow Jesus
• He was called the one whom Jesus loved
• John 131-2
• He was of the inner circle of Apostles with
  James Peter and as such he

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• Witnessed the raising of the daughter of Jairus
• Was at the transfiguration
• Sat at a few feet away from Jesus as He prayed at
  Gethsemane
• Made the arrangements for the last supper
• Laid his head on the bosom of Jesus at the last
  supper John 1323
• Was the first apostle to go to the empty grave
• Was the first to recognize Him at the meal at the
  seashore after the resurrection John 217..

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• John was called a pillar of the church by Paul
• Gal 29
• Johns writings have universal appeal and are a
  reflection of love, tenderness and
  understanding..

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• Later in life John was exiled under arrest on the
  island of Patmos. He was eventually released and
  returned to Ephesus where he died and like Moses
  was buried in a place only known by God
• When you study John you will see a progression in
  his spiritual development
• 1. Disciple of John the Baptist John 135-40
• 2. One of the first called Matt. 421-22
• 3. Was a special disciple of Jesus John 2120
• 4. An apostle for over seventy years Luke
  613-14..

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• So his spiritual progression is one of
• Seeking repentance by following John the Baptist
• Immediately following Jesus upon His call
• Then, being so devout, so unconditional in his
  love of Christ that he becomes especially loved
  by Jesus
• Responding to Jesus teaching and His call to
  spread the gospel by continuing to teach until
  his death..

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• Based on the life of John, what application can
  we apply to us?.....
• We can see that after he responded to the call of
  God, (just like you have) a spiritual progression
  began
• That is where we are today, on a Spiritual
  journey, a progression of faith and drawing
  closer to God..

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• In summary
• John is a simple man from a hardworking
  background, lacking higher education who went
  from being aggressive and quick to judge to being
  called the Apostle of love who writes about love
  and tenderness along with forgiveness and
  compassion.
• He became totally humble refusing to use his own
  name in all of his books except one.
• If God can take a man like John and give him the
  kind of trust and ministry that John had how much
  more can He do with US!!

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• I. Introduction The purpose of the Letter 1
  1 - 4
• II. Conditions of Fellowship 15 - 22
• A. Conformity to a Standard 15 - 7
• B. Confession of Sin 18 - 22
• III. Conduct in Fellowship 23 - 27
• A. The Character of our Conduct -
  Imitation 23 - 11
• B. The Commandment for our Conduct -
  Separation 212 - 17
• C. The Creed for our Conduct -
  Affirmation 218 - 27
• IV. Characteristics of Fellowship 228 - 324
• A. In Relation to our Prospect Purity 228 -
  33
• B. In Relation to our Position Righteousness
• and Brotherly Love 34 - 18
• C. In Relation to our Prayers Answers 319 -
  24
• V. Cautions of Fellowship 41 - 21

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If you examined a hundred people who had lost
their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many
of them would turn out to have been reasoned
out of it by honest argument? Do not most
people simply drift away? (C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity, p 124)..
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• We are somewhere around 85-90 A.D.
• Many of the people who knew Jesus in the flesh
  are dead
• The founders of the church in general, had also
  died and Christians began to drift away from
  their beliefs
• They were falling prey of, or as the Word in Life
  Study Bible says they were being seduced by
  competing doctrines
• These second and third generation believers began
  to be cold in their love for each other and their
  commitment to the truth began to die out..

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• John writes to refute the heresies being taught
  and to encourage the believers to return to their
  first love, Jesus Christ
• John will issue a series of tests for us in the
  areas of Doctrine, Morals and Social.
• Theme
• Fellowship with God the Father and with the Son
• 1John 13 what we have seen and heard we
  proclaim to you also, so that you too may have
  fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is
  with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ..

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• 1 John is a letter of edification in that John
  chooses to build us up in our faith as he
  corrects our errors in doctrine, morals and
  social behavior
• Written to long time Christians probably in the
  Roman providence of Asia which is in modern day
  Turkey
• The letter specifically refutes three heresies
  circulating during this time
• Gnosticism
• Docetism (doe-set-ism)
• And a similar belief taught by a man named
  Cerinthus..

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The Area of Johns Letter, Modern Day Turkey
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• Gnosticism has its origin in the Greek word
  gnosis which means knowledge
• The Gnostic says that spiritual and material are
  sharply distinguished
• Matter is impure and knowledge is supreme..

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• Ryrie says of the teachings of Gnosticism
• 1. Knowledge is superior to virtue
• 2. The non-literal sense of Scripture is correct
  and can be understood only by a select few
• 3. Evil in the world precludes Gods being the
  only Creator
• 4. The incarnation is incredible because deity
  cannot unite itself with anything material such
  as a body
• 5. There is no resurrection of the flesh..

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• This belief system, these teachings led to low
  ethical standards
• They felt that their superior knowledge made them
  better, almost in a different and better class
  than the typical believer
• It led to separation..

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• Docetism (doe-set-ism) teaches that Jesus
  humanity was not real He only appeared to have a
  body
• Cerinthus was a man who lived in the area where
  this letter was first circulated, Roman Asia
• He opposed John and taught that Jesus was a man
  on whom the divine Christ descended at the
  baptism
• This divine Christ departed just prior to the
  crucifixion
• John summarized his feelings of these teachers by
  calling them Antichrists..

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• What modern day beliefs fit some of these
  beliefs?...
• Catholics believe that only the church leadership
  can truly understand the scripture
• New Age teaches the spiritual Christ conscience
• The Mormons and JWs both have hidden ceremonies
  and practices that you can only know about if you
  are enlightened by their belief..

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• John will build a case proving that we need to
  possess and action faith rather than a knowledge
  faith
• As John develops his case he will say
• You know that
• God is light -- do you walk in the light, obeying
  Gods commandments?
• You know that
• God is righteous -- do you live righteously as
  one born of God
• You know that
• God is love -- do you show it by loving our
  brothers even as we love God..

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• One of the true beauties of these letters is the
  fact of Johns black and white stand on Biblical
  principles

• There is no gray in his presentation
• The Word in Life Study Bible offers this
  comparison

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• The choices presented in 1John
• Either Or Text
• Light Darkness 15-7, 29-11
• Truth Deception 18-10
• Keeping Gods Commandments Not keeping
  them 23-6
• A new commandment The old command 27-8
• We love God We love the world 215-16
• Christ The Antichrist 218,22
• Truth Error 220-21, 41-3
• Child of God Child of the devil 31-10
• Righteousness Lawlessness 34-9
• Life Death 313-15, 511-12
• Love Hate 315-17, 420-21
• Spirits confessing Christ Spirits not
  confessing 41-3
• We are of God We are not of God 44-11
• Love Fear 418-19

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• The study Bible goes on to say that this letter
  is built on the principles of binary mathematics

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• A binary system breaks down choices into two, and
  only two alternatives
• On or off, plus or minus, yes or no
• I think all of Christianity is this way, a right
  choice and a wrong choice -- there is no gray!!

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• A commentator, Stott makes this observation
• Today we live in an age of fundamental
  insecurity. All things are changing - nothing is
  stable. New nations are constantly being born.
  Social and political patterns are continually
  evolving.

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• Stott continued
• The survival of civilization is in doubt due to
  nuclear threat.
• We are insecure. Even the message of the church
  is softened and weak and is spoken without
  conviction. Christians are filled with
  uncertainty and confusion and a lack of
  knowledge

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• Stott continued
• Then comes the letters of John - assurance -
  knowledge - confidence - boldness all adding up
  to Christian certainty.
• John teaches us to perceive - to know with
  confidence of attitude and boldness of speech..
  (John Stott)

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• As we study this book we will have our true faith
  tested and reviewed
• One thing for sure, when we finish we will know
  beyond doubt if we are true believers or not!!

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• Notice how the book opens, no hi how are you
  just a straight to the point opening where John
• Unfolds the purpose of God from eternity to
  eternity
• That which was from the beginning so that our
  joy may be made complete
• Contrasts another beginning
• Gen 1 beginning of time
• John 1 beginning of the incarnation
• 1John 1 beginning of the gospel (word of life)..

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• As chapter one continues John explains that we
  have fellowship (koinonia) with
• The Apostles
• God
• Fellow Christians
• And that we are continuously being cleansed from
  sin..

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• Chapter 2 opens the Christian testing John will
  put each of us through
• Moral Test 23-6
• Social (love) Test 27-11
• Doctrinal (belief) Test 218-27
• These areas of our Christian walk, our Christian
  belief will be visited over and over throughout
  the rest of the book..

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• As these tests develop John will ask
• Do you keep his commandments 23
• Do you love your brother 29
• Do you profess Jesus as the Christ 222..

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• Then, just when we take a deep breath thinking we
  possibly have at least achieved a passing grade
  on these 3 tests, John comes right back at us
  again
• Moral Test 228-310
• Social Test 311-18
• Doctrinal Test 41-6..

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• So, as John refutes Gnosticism, Docetism and the
  teachings of Cerinthus he uses the opportunity to
  constantly and consistently force us to examine
  our own heart and weigh our lifestyle and our
  believe system as compared to what it should be
  Biblically..

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• HBs summary of the book of 1John
• Jesus came in the flesh, He is God and eternal
  life is in Him alone
• Our walk will show obedience to Gods morals and
  His righteousness.
• Our walk will demonstrate total faith in Jesus as
  evidenced by our love and acceptance of our
  brothers in Christ..

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If we all come out of this book with this
understanding, we have taught well and the Holy
Spirit has successfully opened our minds and
hearts to Gods message for each of us!!!!!