1 JOHN SAVED FOR SURE

THE “LETTER” Doesn’t begin or end like a letter May have been a tract or sermon in written form Author unnamed, but assumed to be John the Apostle Recipients unnamed, but probably a church(es) somewhere in Asia Minor One of the latest NT writings Reflects the church’s emerging struggle with Gnostic thought

WHAT DID “GNOSTICS” TEACH? A kind of “salvation by knowledge” (gnosis) Not salvation from sin, but from ignorance Emphasis on “secret teachings” only for “the knowing ones” Matter is evil; only spirit is good. Problems with Creation & Incarnation Had to re-define nature of God & of Jesus Claimed “Jesus” & “Christ” were separate beings Reason 1 John emphasizes that “Jesus is the Christ”

HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES Recipients were well-known to the writer (“my little children”) False teachers had created problems over nature of Christ Eventually left, “b/c they were not of us” John writes to expose the falsehood of their beliefs Those left in the church were shaken, needed reassurance

3 WAYS TO BE SURE WE KNOW GOD “Walking in the light” (obedience to God’s commands) Love for one another Believing the truth about Jesus

LESSONS FOR TODAY If we’re going to be right with God, we have to take _______ seriously. It’s impossible to _______ God if we don’t _______ one another. It’s not okay to just believe “____________” about Jesus. We must believe what ____________ says about Him. Our common __________ rests on believing the same __________ about Jesus.

KEY VERSE “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12