1John, #3 Knowing You Have Eternal Life Certainty through Abiding in Love 1John 3:1-24

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love n Previously, we’ve seen the theme of Knowing You Have Eternal Life manifested by Walking in the Light through John’s big picture / large brush painting of: >Personal Spiritual Conduct, 1:5 - 2:6 >Loving Social Relationships, 2:7-11 >Separation from the World, 2:12-17 >Obedient Adherence to the Truth, 2:18-29

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love n Now we can continue with this Certainty of Eternal Life demonstrated by: Abiding Love. n Love assures Eternal Life if/when: >when it produces Obedience to God, 3:1-10 &>when it produces Loving Actions toward One Another, 3:11-24

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love n Love assures Eternal Life if/when when it produces Obedience to God, 3:1-10 This first section is predicated upon God’s great love “bestowed upon us” that we: >should “called His children” v.1a >should be His children, v.1b

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love Being God’s Children produces results: 1. Strangers to the world, v.1c 2. Transformation into conformity to Him, v.2 (cf. Rom.12:1-2; 8:29; 1Cor.15:49-54) 3. Self-Purification based on hope, v.3 (cf. 2Pet.3:13-14) n Love assures Eternal Life if/when when it produces Obedience to God, 3:1-10

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love This Self-Purification is further explained: 1. freedom from the practice of sin, v.4a 2. because sin is lawlessness, v.4b 3. He came to take away sins because in Him there can be no sin, v.5 4. So if we are in Him, we cannot practice sin and must practice righteousness, vv.6-9 (see also 1:8-10; i.e. big pic - large brush) n Love assures Eternal Life if/when when it produces Obedience to God, 3:1-10

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love The Practice of Sin or of Righteousness: 1. Makes it “obvious” who is a child of God and who is a child of Satan! v “Good People” don’t do bad things- else there are no longer “good people”! 3. If we don’t “practice righteousness” then we are not God’s children! cf. v.1 > v.10. n Love assures Eternal Life if/when when it produces Obedience to God, 3:1-10

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love Practicing of Righteousness includes Brotherly Love: 1. It was so from the beginning, v As demonstrated by Cain’s failure, v.12 *Note Cain was “of the evil one” because he failed to love his brother! 3. Practicing brotherly love also produces hatred from the world, v.13 n “Nor the one who does not love his brother” v.10b introduces the next section.

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love Practicing of Righteousness includes Brotherly Love: 1. Its practice causes us to “know” we have life rather than death, v Failure to love our brethren is the same as murder, v.15 (cf. Matt.5:21-22) 3. Our “Brother” showed us what brotherly love looks like by meeting our need! v.16 n Love Assures Eternal Life when it produces Loving Actions toward Brethren, 3:11-24

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love Practicing Brotherly Love means Meeting One Another’s Needs: 1. In regard to worldly goods, v.17 -failure to do so is “closing the heart” -means God’s love doesn’t abide in us 2. Manifests that perfect combination of Deed and Truth, cf. James 1:22; 2:17ff; 3:13 n Love Assures Eternal Life when it produces Loving Actions toward Brethren, 3:11-24

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love Practicing Brotherly Love means Meeting One Another’s Needs: 1. which provides knowledge that we are of the truth, v.19a 2. and assures our hearts before Him, v.19b 3. and gives us confidence before God of fellowship and answered prayer because we keep His commandments, vv n Love Assures Eternal Life when it produces Loving Actions toward Brethren, 3:11-24

1John, #3 Certainty through Abiding in Love “And this is the commandment, that we: believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love another, just as He commanded” “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in the him. “…by this we know that He abides in us” n Verses provide the Summary