1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2009 Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2009

2. Dear User … This PowerPoint Show is freely shared to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, adjust font size, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says “designed by claro ruiz vicente.” For honest Christians, it is not necessary for another’s creation to be copyrighted in order to be respected. PLEASE USE AS IS. John’s Epistles An Appeal

3. Ekkehardt Mueller Principal Contributor

4. John’s Epistles Our Goal {5} The three epistles of John speak to issues relevant for the church today. We would do well to listen to them, because ultimately, it is God who is speaking to us through John’s words, the God who has revealed to us truths about a greater and firmer foundation upon which we can rest: our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

5. John’s Epistles Contents 1. Jesus and the Johannine Letters 2. Experiencing the Word of Life 3. Walking in the Light: Turning Away From Sin 4. Walking in the Light: Keeping His Commandments 5. Walking in the Light: Renouncing Worldliness 6. Walking in the Light: Rejecting Antichrists 7. Living as Children of God 8. Loving Brothers and Sisters 9. Believing in the Son of God 10. Confidence 11. Important Themes in 1 John 12. John’s Letter to the Chosen Lady 13. Power Struggle INTRODUCTION FIRST EPISTLE SECOND EPISTLE THIRD EPISTLE

6. John’s Epistles Lesson 3, July 18 John’s Epistles Lesson 3, July 18

7. Turning Away From Sin Key Text 1 John 1:9 NASB “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

8. Turning Away From Sin Initial Words {33} What does the Bible mean when it calls God “light”? What kind of errors regarding the reality of sin did John seek to deal with in these early verses? What promises does John present to us as the remedy for the sin in our lives? Why do we need these promises?

9. Turning Away From Sin Quick Look 1. God is Light (1 John 1:5, 6) 2. Walking in the Light (1 John 1:7-2:2) 3. Comfort in the Light (1 John 2:1, 2)

10. Turning Away From Sin 1. God is Light 1 John 1:5, 6 NKJV “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

11. 1.God is Light No Darkness at All {34} Light is used in reference to both Jesus and His Father. Light is God’s glory, and it points to Him as the One who brings salvation. The image also emphasizes the concept of truth and revelation. And especially in our immediate context, it stresses His moral qualities of righteousness, holiness, and perfection.

12. 1.God is Light No Darkness at All {34} The apostle underlines in strongest possible terms God’s perfection from sin. God is pure holiness, pure goodness, pure righteousness. He is, in a sense, as opposite to sin as darkness is to light. As fallen beings, steeped in sin, humans belong by nature to the sphere of darkness rather than in the realm of light.

13. Turning Away From Sin 2. Walking in the Light 1 John 1:7, 9 NKJV “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

14. 2. Walking in the Light The Sin Problem {36} People claim to have fellowship with God, but in reality they walk in darkness, which means that they really aren’t walking with God. Walking in the light results in true fellowship. Those who do that are cleansed from their sins. To walk in darkness has to do with living in sin. Living in sin and claiming to have fellowship with God is a lie.

15. 2. Walking in the Light What is Sin? {38} 1. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). 2. Sin is wrongdoing or unrighteousness (1 John 5:17). 3. A departure from the will of God. 4. Sin is opposed to truth. 5. It alienates from God. 6. This alienation leads to spiritual death.

16. 2. Walking in the Light Responses to the Sin Problem {38} We should lay our sins before God, and He will forgive us and purify us. Sinning makes us guilty; we need forgiveness. Sin makes us unclean; we need purification. Through Jesus, God has made a way for us to have both.

17. 2. Walking in the Light The Christian’s Goal {40} The goal of a disciple of Christ is not to sin. They must seek to live without sin. John doesn’t want to give the idea that we can be perfectly sinless. Even consecrated and sincere Christians may commit sins. They need someone to help them resist temptation, but they also need someone who intervenes for them after they have sinned.

18. 1 John 2:1, 2 NKJV “And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Turning Away From Sin 3. Comfort in the Light

19. Parakletos {42} The term parakletos, translated “advocate”, has been translated differently: “comforter,” “helper,” “mediator,” or “intercessor”. It is a person who is called to the side of someone else and who stands up for someone else. Jesus is the Helper and Intercessor.

20. 3. Comfort in the Light Parakletos {16} We must be careful not to give the impression that the Father is mean and harsh and must be persuaded by a go-between to forgive us. Such a picture of God is unwarranted. Jesus does not have to pacify the Father. On the contrary, the Father is the One who has revealed, through Jesus, His desire for our salvation.

21. Acts of the Apostles 552, 553 Final Words {44} “The conditions of obtaining mercy from God are simple and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order to gain forgiveness. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, … to expiate our transgression. … If our salvation depended on our efforts, we could not be saved; but it depends on the One who is behind all the promises.”