REBC Adult Bible Study - 1 John 2

1 John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Bible Study at REBC

Notes
Transcript

Introduction - 6:15 pm

Welcome
How are you all?
Any comments on what you read this week?
Have you been able to apply the hermeneutics tool into your daily study of the Word of God?
Any questions?

Opening Prayer

Before we dive into the text...Please join me in prayer before we start

Recap

Last week we talked about Christians loving others
This is an attribute of a believer
We also discussed that throughout the letter, John provides his purpose
We see one of those examples at the beginning of Chapter 2

Reading: 1 John 2:1-6

Verse 1: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
John defines the purpose of his letter
As believers, we always strive to not sin
But we are not perfect
We will fall into sin (but not live in sin)
When we sin we know it won’t be counted against us for we have an advocate or paraclete or intercessor.
Verse 2: He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
This does not mean universalism
Not every individual will have sins forgiven
Only those who repent and believe
“World” is understood as meaning mankind in general
Another way of putting it:
Jesus’ sacrifice is offered and made available to everyone in “the whole world,” not just to John and his current readers
Verse 3: And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
“Know Him” refers to an intimate relationship
Those who “know” God are true believers and followers of Christ
Those who are genuine believers, will as a by product of faith, follow Jesus’ commands
Verse 4: Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
If you do not obey God then you do not love God
Claiming or identifying as a Christian is worthless
The fruit you bear is the real indicator to those on the outside of who is a true believer
The fruit you bear represents the transformed heart God gave you
Verse 5: but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
By following His commands, this reveals that we where saved
Works don’t save but a saved person produces good works
Verse 6: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
If we say that we are in fellowship with Jesus then we should act and walk like Jesus
If we are of the world we will act like the world
This is how false teachers are usually exposed
They claim to be sent from God but they are nothing like the true God
Questions or Comments?

Reading: 1 John 2:7-14

Verse 7: Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
The old commandment is love for God and love for others, both of which are commanded in the Old Testament:
Leviticus 19:18 ESV
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Verse 8: At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
Jesus confirmed these Old Testament commands and renewed these teachings
He presented then in a way so they also constitute a new commandment as seen in John 13:34
John 13:34 ESV
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Verse 9: Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
The original language conveys the idea of someone who habitually hates or is marked by a lifestyle of hate
You can’t habitually hate and be a Christian
If you hate then you where never saved to begin with
Additionally, you can’t lose your salvation
“Still in darkness” means the person was never saved
This also means once saved you will not go back to darkness
Verse 10: Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
If you love other, in biblical love, then you prove you are a born again believer
Biblical love is unlike the world
It is not just emotional or a feeling
Biblical love is sacrificial, genuine concern for other’s salvation and eternal life
The greatest expression of this love is to be willing to sacrifice your life in order to share the gospel message with those that are lost
Jesus sacrifice on the cross, receiving the full wrath of the Father for the salvation of those who would eventually believe in Him was the ultimate act of love
Verse 11: But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Hate of others is blinding
The person who hates has no real direction in life and is blind
Verse 12: I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
Again we find John’s purpose for his letter
He reminds us that our sins are forgiven
He also reminds why they are forgiven
For His Name’s sake
Verse 13-14: I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
John mentions his purpose hear for specific groups
“Fathers” are mature believers
“Young men” are young believers
“Children” are brand new believers
John MacArthur clearly defines these groups:
He said, “These very clear distinctions identify 3 stages of spiritual growth in God’s family.
“Fathers,” the most mature, have a deep knowledge of the Eternal God. The pinnacle of spiritual maturity is to know God in His fullness.
“Young men” are those who, while not yet having the mature experience of knowing God in the Word and through life, do know sound doctrine. They are strong against sin and error because they have His Word in them. Thus they overcome the wiles of the devil, who makes havoc of children. Since Satan’s efforts are in falsehood and deception, they have overcome him.
“Children” are those who have only the basic awareness of God and need to grow. All are in God’s family and manifest Christ’s character at different levels.
Questions or Comments?

Reading: 1 John 2:15-17

Verse 15:  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
If you love the world then this reveals you are of the world
We are to live in the world but not be of the world
We either love the Father or the world.
We can’t love both
Verse 16: For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Fleshy desires, lust, pride, etc are all from the world
The things of the spirit are what is of God
Verse 17: And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
The world is temporary
The world will pass
The treasures of the world will rust away and deteriorate
However, those who fallow God’s will have eternal life
So, God must be a greater priority than the world
Questions or Comments?

Reading: 1 John 2:18-27

Verse 18: Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
There will be many antichrists in addition to the antichrist that is recorded in Revelation
This is a sign of the end of days (the time period between the first and second comings of Christ)
We must be on guard
We must do this by knowing sound doctrine
We must do this by understanding the Word of God
We must test every teacher and place them on the measuring block
Verse 19: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
These antichrists whee never believers from the beginning
This applies to all people
Anyone one who is of the world was never of Christ
Anyone who doesn't believe in God never did
Once you are saved you will never be lost again
Those genuinely born again endure in faith and fellowship and the truth
The ultimate test of true Christianity is endurance
The departure of people from the truth and the church is their unmasking
Verse 20: But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
God gives us all true and profitable knowledge
This knowledge the world does not understand
Verse 21: I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
John is again presenting his purpose for the letter
He is giving confidence and assurance to the believer
Verse 22: Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
Anyone who denies the Father and Son is a liar at heart
They are of the world
They are an antichrist
Verse 23: No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Jesus is the only way to the Father
Anyone who denies Jesus does not have the Father
But those who believe in the biblical Jesus will also believe in the Father
Verse 24: Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
If you are a true believer then you will hold to the sound doctrine found in the Old and New Testament
You will not follow the new teachings of the world
Verse 25: And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
The sound doctrine that we hold as believers rests on the promise of God
That promise is of eternal life
Verse 26: I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
Again another purpose statement by John
He is warning of false teachers
Their intention is to deceive people
We must be prepared to understand the difference between heresy and sound doctrine
Verse 27: But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
John is not denying the importance of gifted teachers in the church but indicates that neither those teachers nor those believers are dependent on human wisdom or the opinions of men for the truth
God’s Holy Spirit guards and guides the true believer into the truth
The Holy Spirit should lead you in your learning
The Holy Spirit will always point to Christ
The Holy Spirit will always align with the Word of God since He is the Author
Questions or Comments?

Reading: 1 John 2:28-29

Verse 28: And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
Trusting in Jesus means we will look forward to the second coming of Christ ad not be ashamed of ourselves for not believing in Him
The truth in Scripture should lead us to confidence and not shame
Verse 29: If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
All who are born again practice righteousness
We will act like our master
So, if Jesus is our master then it is like Him that we will act
Questions or Comments?

Closing Prayer - 7:30 pm

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