I John Lesson 6

Love in I John 1-3 I John 1 Fellowship with the Father, Son and one another Love shown in us 1:3 Light: God is light and we walk in His light by keeping His commandments. Love for God 1:7 Sin is forgiven: Deceive ourselves if we say we have no sin. Confess. Forgive. He forgives us and cleanses us. GREAT Love for us 1:8-10

Love in I John 1-3 I John 2 Know: We know Him IF we keep His commandments. God’s love is perfected in the one who keeps His Word. 2:3-5 Abide: One who abides in Him walks in the same manner and loves his brother. 2:6,10 DON’T love the world. IF you do, the love of God is not within you. (You cannot love God and serve two masters Matt. 6:24) 2:15

Love in I John 1-3 I John 3 The Father bestowed love on His children 3:1 The one who practices sin and doesn’t love, belongs to the devil 3:8 If you do not love, you abide in death 3:14 We know love because Jesus laid down His life, so believers should love one another 3:16 Love in deed and truth, not merely in words 3:18

I John 4 3:24 Believers can know He abides within by the Spirit He’s given 4:1 TEST, don’t believe every spirit Why? So you won’t be deceived by false prophets 4:3 Spirit of antichrist was already in the world (spirit of error) Believers recognize error: this spirit does NOT confess Jesus and that He has come in the flesh 4:2-3

Contrasts False prophets with spirit of antichrist: 4:5 1. Are from the world 2. Speak as from the world 3. Listened to by the world Believers have overcome the false prophets because the Spirit of God is in them and He is greater than: spirit of antichrist, false prophets and spirit of error. 4:4-6 Spirit of Truth: From God and listened to by those who know God 4:6

2 and 3 John Watch yourselves; many deceivers in the world 2 John 7-8 Don’t participate with those who bring you teaching that goes too far 2 John 9 Be careful around those who want to be first and don’t receive brothers as they should 3 John 9-11

I John 4:7-10 Love is from God, and God is love 4:7 Everyone who loves with His love, is born of God and knows Him 4:7 Believers have life through Jesus, the propitiation for our sins 4:10 Gen. 22 Abraham offered up his only son whom he loved John 3:16 Rom. 5:6-12 God loved us when we were helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies, spiritually dead and headed for His wrath

Perfected Love God’s love is perfected in His children 4:12 His children are commanded to love one another 2 John 5 Perfected: teleioo – complete, mature, make perfect by reaching the intended goal. Metaphorically meaning to make perfect although not faultless, but bringing to a state of completion or fulfillment. Refers to the effectiveness of God’s love in the believer demonstrating itself horizontally as received from above.

2 John 1-6 John said he loved in truth and all who know truth will love vs. 1 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us through the Father and the Son, in truth and love vs. 3 Believers are commanded to love one another vs. 5 Love, is walking in His commandments vs. 6

How do we know He abides within? He has given us His Spirit 4:13 (given is in the perfect tense: it happened in the past with the results continuing into the present) Rom. 8:9, 16 The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God Eph. 1:13-14 Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise when they listened to the gospel and believed. Mark 12 and Luke 10 We confess Jesus is the Son of God and love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves

I John 4 When believers love, it shows they are born of God and know Him vs. 7-8 Love shows believers HAVE eternal life Believers abide in love and do not fear vs. 18 “As He is, so are we in this world” vs. 17 We love because He first loved us vs. 19 We love one another vs. 20-21 “If someone says” is not enough. There must be evidence Vs. 20

I John 5 Love The one who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him vs. 1 Love, keeps His commandments vs. 2-3 Theme: Spirit of God/spirit of antichrist Or: Love God – love brothers also Or: Spirit of Truth/spirit of error

Application HOW do I love? Do I love conditionally? Do I love SOME of my brothers, but not ALL? Can the world see God’s love in me? (They sure saw it in Billy Graham) Who is my toughest person to love?

“See, Seen” 3708: Horao – I John 1:1,3; 3:1,2 to see God, figuratively meaning to know Him, be acquainted with Him. Know His character, only used in John’s writings. Inward spiritual perception. 5319: Phaneroo – I John 2:19; 3:2 To reveal, appear, visible, to make clear, illumine 2300: Theaomai: to see with the eyes I John 4:12