Introduction to 1, 2 & 3 John, Part 2 John’s Gospel in John’s Letters John 1-21 and 1 John “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV84) 9 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9 (NIV84)

Our sermon series for the school year The Study of John’s Letters

The Triology of John’s Writings: 1. The Gospel of John AD 2. The Letters of John AD 3. The Revelation of Jesus Christ AD

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV84) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

How was John impacted or changed by his relationship with Jesus?

John becomes for us an exceptionally well- qualified witness for what a personal relationship with Jesus can do to and within a person.

John grew up into maturity under the mentoring of Jesus.

The letters of John are a compressed version of the Gospel of John.

John’s letters are invitations to read his Gospel.

We can follow the same storyline of our redemption... through both the Gospel and the First Letter of John s i m u l t a n e o u s l y

It is with Triune God that the story of our redemption and salvation starts. Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is the Word of God who was “in the beginning.” He was the life and the light for God’s created humanity. John 1:1-4, 14 = 1 John 1:1-2

But there ’ s a problem to be overcome. Ever since Adam chose to listen to the devil and disobey God, every human being finds himself estranged from God because of that inherited sin. Thus, as sinners, we are held captive to our father the devil and we carry out his desires. Only the Son of God can release us from this captivity by destroying the devil ’ s work. John 8:44 = 1 John 3:8

Another way of saying we are held captive to the devil is saying that we are “ from the world. ” John 8:23; 15:19 = 1 John 2:16; 4:5

Being held captive by the devil and being of the world, we therefore “ sin ” … John 8: John 3:4

and we “ have ” sin, … John 9:39-41 = 1 John 1:8

and we continue to “ walk in the darkness ” … John 8:12; 12:35 = 1 John 1:6; 2:11

and we are thus “ dead ” needing to be brought back to life. John 5:25 = 1 John 3:14

The good news is that God loves us and sent His Son to be “ the Savior of the World ” … John 4:42 = 1 John 4:14

so that we would no longer be dead but be given life eternal by His Son. John 3:16 = 1 John 4:9

By believing in Him or in His “ name, ” John 1:12 = 1 John 5:13

we pass from death to life. John 5:24 = 1 John 3:14

We therefore have life, John 3:15, 36; 20:31 = 1 John 5:11, 12

for life is in the Son of God. John 1:4; 14:6 = 1 John 5:11–12

This is what it means to be “ born of God. ” John 1:13 = 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 5:4, 18

It is with Triune God that the story of our redemption and salvation starts. Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is the Word of God who was “in the beginning.” He was the life and the light for God’s created humanity. But there’s a problem to be overcome. Ever since Adam chose to listen to the devil and disobey God, every human being finds himself estranged from God because of that inherited sin. Thus, as sinners, we are held captive to our father the devil and we carry out his desires. Only the Son of God can release us from this captivity by destroying the devil’s work ; Another way of saying we are held captive to the devil is saying that we are “from the world”. Being held captive by the devil and being of the world, we therefore “sin” and we “have” sin, and we continue to “walk in the darkness” and we are thus “dead” needing to be brought back to life. The good news is that God loves us and sent His Son to be “the Savior of the World” so that we would no longer be dead but be given life eternal by His Son. By believing in Him or in His “name”, we pass from death to life. We therefore have life, for life is in the Son of God. This is what it means to be “born of God.”

We live in a sinful world. No surprise here. But, because of Christ, we are not overcome by the sin that is so ever present around us. But, becoming a Christian doesn’t take us out of the world. Rather, as Christians we are to be equipped to remain in the world as a community that is fully enjoying fellowship with the Father and His Son. As a result of this fellowship, we live as victorious conquerors over sin while simultaneously bringing with us the light of Christ, the righteousness of Christ and the love of Christ to persons lost in the darkness of the world so that they can enter into the same joy we are having in Christ. A Summary of John’s Letters

November 1, 2015 Christmas giving Vine Maple Place & Operation Christmas Child

November 1, 2015 ChristNow.com