1John - Jude, #1 Knowing You Have Eternal Life Certainty through Walking in the Light 1John 1 - 2

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life To Understand 1John, you have to know two important things: 1. It is a large picture painted with a big brush (not about fine lines) cf. 1:1,6,7 2:3-5,10,22; 4: It is about Knowing / Having Confidence in Your Salvation! 5:13 Two different Greek verbs (oidamen & ginoskomen ) are translated as we know is used some 13 times!

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life Others factors may help us understand better 1John: >It was written by the same John (son of Zebedee) who wrote the Gospel of- 1John 1:1 presupposes the Gospel of John >It was written as a companion to the Gospel; the first was written to establish faith, 20:31, this was written to confirm its reward, 5:13.

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life It may also help to understand that 1John is the basis of three-part series: >Thus, 1John is the foundation >And 2John is an appendix to the church under the heading of “the chosen lady and her children” 2John 1 >While 3John is addressed to “beloved Gaius” and seems to be more about the administrative aspects of the presbytery >All seem to be written late 80’s - 95 A.D.

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life Certainty by Walking the Light, 1 - 2:29 Through Personal Spiritual Conduct, 1:5 - 2:6 Introduction: >1:1-2 John’s credentials for writing >1:3-4 John’s purpose for writing The Foundation of Fellowship: God is Light & there is no darkness in Him, v.5

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life Therefore… (v.6) If we say we have fellowship with Him, >and yet walk in darkness, >we are neither truthful or right! But if we… (v.7) Walk in the light as He is in the Light, >we have fellowship w/ one another, cf.v.3 >and are cleansed by Jesus’ blood (thus enabling fellowship with God!)

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life Or… (v.8) If we say we have no sin (which would prevent fellowship with God), >we are deceiving ourselves, cf. Rom.3:9,23; James 3:2 >and we are liars! cf. Rev.21:8 But if we… (v.9) Confess our sins, He is faithful to: >forgive us, Heb.8:12 >and to cleanse all unrighteousness

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life So… (v.10) Don’t kid yourself about your sin because God knows better! John is writing so that Christians “may not sin” 2:1a This should be our earnest goal too lest we be found turning freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, cf. Gal.5:13. But when we do, we have a great Lawyer to plead our case, v.1b He paid our fine/debt/penalty, v.2

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life The Big Picture plain facts: (vv.3-6) >We “know we know Him” when we do what He says! v.3 >Otherwise, we liars fooling only ourselves, v.4 >But if we “keep His word” then God’s love is perfected in us and we know, v.5 >It’s simple: to be like God and to be with God, you have to walk like God, v.6

1John - Jude #1 - Knowing You Have Eternal Life These things are neither complicated to comprehend nor difficult to discern. But make no mistake…. they are essential to being saved; and to true confidence in that salvation! What do you “know” about your eternal destiny?