JOHN’S EPISTLES

1st JOHN LESSON 2

FELLOWSHIPPING IN THE LIGHT

Lesson: 1st John 2:1-29

Memory Verse: 1st John 2:15

Introduction:

A statement of the apostle that the great object which he had in writing to them was that they should not sin; and yet if they sinned, hey should not despair, for they had an Advocate with the Father who had made propitiation for the sins of the world, 1 John 2:1,2.

The evidence that we know God, or that we are his true friends, is to be found in the fact that we keep his commandments, 1 John 2:3-6.

1 John 2:7-11 deals with the law of love. The apostle says that what he had been saying in this respect was no new commandment, but was what they had always heard concerning the nature of the gospel; 1 John 2:7, Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Love for Christ is the basis for love among the brethren.

I. FELLOWSHIP AND THE PATTERN TO FOLLOW. vs. 1-14

A. Our Advocate and Fellowship. vs. 1-2

1. God does not give permission for His children to sin. v. 1

2. God has a plan to keep us from sin.

a. Walk in the light, I John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1) We have fellowship one with another.

2) The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.

b. Stay in the Word of God, Psalm 119:105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:80, Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

c. Prove the things that be of more value, Philippians 1:10, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

d. Occupy yourself with the things of the Lord, Galatians 5:16, This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

3. God has made provision for us if we sin. v. 1. 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4. God has provided an advocate to plead our case when we sin. v. 1. “Advocate” is elsewhere translated “comforter.” He represents us before God as a lawyer would represent us before a court. It is one who has been “summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid.”

5. God has provided propitiation for our sins. v. 2. Our sins separate us from a holy and unchanging God. Christ through his sacrificial blood has made satisfaction for the sins of every believing sinner. (God is NOT PACIFIED, but SATISFIED). See passages where the same or similar Greek words are translated “merciful,” “propitiation,” and “mercyseat.”

a. Merciful, Luke 18:13, And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Hebrews 2:17, Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

b. Propitiation, I John 4:10, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Romans 3:25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

c. Mercyseat, the place of expiation, Hebrews 9:5, And over it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

B. Our Obedience and Fellowship. vs. 3-6

1. Obedience is the test of fellowship. v. 3. John 14:15, If ye love me, keep my commandments.

2. Disobedience is the proof of non-fellowship. v. 4

3. Assurance comes through obedience. v. 5

4. The perfect example to follow. v. 6. If we follow this it will affect our home life.

a. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

Ephesians 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

b. Husbands are to care for their wives as Christ cared for the church. Ephesians 5:29, For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

c. Wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. Ephesians 5:22-24, Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

C. Our Love and Fellowship. vs. 7-11

Love is the demonstration of fellowship. vs. 7-8.

a. The Lord, Deuteronomy 6:5, And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

b. Your neighbor, Leviticus 19:18, …Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…

c. One another, John 13:34-35, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Romans 13:8-10.

2. This does not mean that we must love false teachers. We are to:

a. Love those that walk after His commandments. II John 5-6

b. Love those who are not deceivers. II John 7

c. Love those that abide in the doctrine. II John 9-11

3. Hatred is the denial of fellowship. vs. 9-11.

a. Walk while ye have the light, John 12:35, Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

b. The way of the wicked, Proverbs 4:19, The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

c. The way of the saved, Ephesians 4:32, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Colossians 3:13, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

d. There are three Greek words for love. v. 9.

1) “Agape” the highest and most sublime kind of love.

2) “Philia” a friendship kind of love that is good, but not as sublime as “agape.”

3) “Eros,” a sensual lover from which we get the word “erotic.” “Eros” is not found at all in the New Testament.

e. Loving a brother in Christ produces wonderful results.

1) It causes us not to think evil. I Corinthians 13:5, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.

2) It covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8, And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

3) It causes us to abide in the light. v. 10.

4) It causes us to keep others from stumbling. v. 10.

D. Our Maturity and Fellowship. vs. 12-14

1. All the saved are children of God and their sins are forgiven. v. 12

2. The fathers are older in spiritual things and in growth. vs. 13-14

3. The young men are growing in maturity and are overcoming. vs. 13-14

a. They have overcome the wicked one. vs. 13-14

b. They are strong. v. 14

c. The reason for their strength is the word of God abiding in them. v. 14

II. FELLOWSHIP AND THE PATH TO AVOID. vs. 15-29

A. We Are To Avoid Love For The World. vs. 15-17

“The world” in this passage refers to the invisible world and spiritual system that is opposed to God. I John 5:19, And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. John 12:31, Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. Philippians 3:20, For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. We are not to love this world system. v. 15.

a. In the past, Ephesians 2:2, Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

b. Now we war against the rulers of the darkness of this world, Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

c. We must hate evil, Psalm 97:10, Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

d. We must love in truth, Romans 12:9, Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

2. We are not to love the things of this world. v. 15. Matthew 4:8-9, Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

3. Love of the world shows that the love of the Father is not in us. v. 15.

4. The evil things of this world are not of the father. v. 16. The devil uses three things to trap Christians. Satan used all three to tempt Eve. Genesis 3:6, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

a. The lust of the flesh refers to man’s fallen nature.

1) The Natural Man, I Corinthians 2:14, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2) The New Man, John 3:5-6, Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3) The Self-aware Man, Romans 7:18, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. John 6:63, It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

4) The Confident Man, Philippians 3:3, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

b. The lust of the eyes, which is the window that lets in sin. Beware of opening the eye gate to feast on sin. Psalm 119:37, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

c. The pride of life refers to the boastful pride of man.

1) The friendship of the world leads to being spotted by the world, James 4:4, Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 1:27, Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

2) The Christians is a non conformist, Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

5. The things of this world pass away, but the things of God do not. v. 17. Nineteen world civilizations have existed and then perished. Ours will do the same.

B. We Are To Avoid the Apostates of This World. vs. 18-23

1. Antichrists are to increase in the last time. v. 18. II Peter 3:8-9, But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We must distinguish between antichrists and the Antichrist.

a. All who in doctrine or practice, oppose Christ, are antichrists.

b. The Antichrist will be the person who reigns during the tribulation.

2. Apostates have departed from the truth, and will depart from a true Church if they cannot take it over. v. 19, Matthew 13:20-21, But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

3. God’s servants know the truth. vs. 20-21. Romans 8:9, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

4. Those who deny Christ’s deity are apostates. v. 22. John 10:30, I and my Father are one. John 5:23, That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

5. They CANNOT DENY the Son and have the Father. v. 23, II John 9, Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

C. We Are To Avoid Spiritual Seducers. vs. 24-29

1. We can avoid them by adhering to the truth. vs. 24-26.

a. The Devil is a liar and the father of it, John 8:44, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

b. He is the deceitful One, II Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2. We can avoid them by yielding to the indwelling Holy Spirit. vs. 27-29.

To abide means to remain in fellowship.

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What is the meaning of “advocate”?

2. What is the meaning of “propitiation”?

3. How may believers be assured that they know God?

4. How should believers walk?

5. What did he say about one who hates his brother?

6. Why did he write to children, to fathers and to young men?

7. What did he say about love of the Father and the love of the world?

8. Is hatred compatible with fellowship? Why?

9. What is an antichrist?

10. Quote the memory verse.

1st  JOHN LESSON 1

THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

1st JOHN 1:1-10

Memory Verse: 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Introduction:

“The Spirit used the Apostle John to give us the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the Book of the Revelation. These three works complement each other and give to us a full picture of the Christian life.” —Warren Wiersbe

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” 2 Timothy 3:15. This of course includes 1, 2, and 3 John, as well as the rest of the 66 books of our Bible. No Bible believer that we know of, doubts that God used the apostle John to write these epistles as well as the Gospel of John and Revelation.

It is generally accepted that this epistle was written about 90 A.D.

John gives at least five purposes for writing this epistle:

1. That we might have fellowship, 1 John 1:3, 6,7. Fellowship has to do with communion with Christ and not union with Christ. Our sonship relationship with God never changes but our fellowship does change.

2. That we might have joy, 1:4. The word “joy” is used only here, but the blessing of joy is seen throughout the entire letter. Joy is the result of a close fellowship with Christ.

3. That we might not sin, 2:1-2. The penalty for sin was paid at the cross for the believer, but the power of sin is still a problem. First John explains how we may have victory over sin and how to get forgiveness when we do sin.

4. That we might overcome error, 2:26. John was facing the false teaching of his day just as we face false teachers today (2 Peter 2). Several errors are refuted in 1 John and we will try to note some of them as we study.

5. That we might have assurance, 5:13. First John is not an easy book to outline as there are parallel lines of truth interwoven in the book that constantly reappear. There are three main ideas of conflict evident: light vs. darkness, love vs. hatred, and truth vs. error.

The book of I John falls into two divisions:

1. Fellowship: “God Is Light,” chapters 1 and 2;

2. Sonship: “God Is Love,” chapters 3-5. In the first two chapters the key verse is “God is light,” 1:5; the key word is: “fellowship,” 1:3, 6, 7.

The key thought is: Light cannot fellowship with darkness.

I. THE CAUSE OF FELLOWSHIP, vv. 1-4

A. The Incarnation and Eternal Life, vv. 1-2.

1. Christ had no beginning, v. 1; 2:22; 4:2-3; John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

2. John had HEARD, SEEN, and HANDLED Christ, v. 1. This REFUTES the Gnostic claim that Christ was not really human, and did not have a human body, Luke 24:39, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

3. Christ is the WORD of LIFE, v. 1; John 1:1-2, 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:4, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

4. Christ was MANIFESTED through His INCARNATION, v. 2; 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

5. John was a WITNESS to eternal life and ITS SOURCE, v. 2; John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

6. John EXPERIENCED this eternal life, v. 2; John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

7. John wrote this epistle telling people HOW TO BE SURE they have this eternal life, 1 John 5:4-13.

B. The Incarnation and Fellowship, vs. 3-4.

1. The BASIS of fellowship is RELATIONSHIP, v. 3; 2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

2. Relationship BASED upon RECEPTION of the RIGHT message: Fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, v. 3.

3. One PURPOSE of this epistle, v. 4; Philippians 2:2, “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Psalm 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” John 15:11, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

II. THE CONDITIONS OF FELLOWSHIP, vs. 5-10

A. We Must Walk in the Light, vs. 5-8.

1. We must have the RIGHT CONCEPT of God, v. 5, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

a. God DWELLS IN the light [righteousness], 1 Timothy 6:16, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

b. Man in his NATURAL state HATES THE LIGHT, John 3:20-21, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

c. Compare John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

2. Our life must be SEPARATED from sin, v. 6. Many professing Christians talk the talk, but do not walk the walk, Amos 3:3, ”Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” 1 John 2:4, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

3. We must CLAIM the CLEANSING POWER of Christ’s sacrifice from our DAILY SINS of defilement, v. 7.

a. If we walk in the light… [Righteousness—all sin confessed] Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

b. We have fellowship one with another… [True communion].

c. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us… [This is antidote and defense against sin’s presence and power over us].

4. We must RECOGNIZE the PRESENCE of the OLD NATURE, v. 8. We must not lie about our sins, 1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

B. We Must Confess Our Sins, vs. 9-10.

1. True confession involves REPENTANCE, v. 9; Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

a. David tried to cover his sins (adultery and murder), and he lost his health and his joy, Psalm 32:3-4, “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.”

b. David lose the joy of salvation, Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

2. SIN is a part of our OLD NATURE, and IF NOT CONFESSED it will BREAK fellowship with God, Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

3. True confession will bring CLEANSING, v. 9; Ephesians 5:26, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

4. We must ACKNOWLEDGE our sin or we make Him a liar, v. 10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

a. This is not acknowledging that we are sinners, but rather, that we have UNCONFESSED SIN, Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”

b. We make Him a LIAR, 1 John 5:10, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”

CONCLUSION

This chapter deals a deadly blow to the heresy Of Antinomianism. “The Antinomian…holds that, since Christ’s obedience and sufferings have satisfied the demands of the law, the believer is free from obligation to observe it.” —A. H. Strong

While we do not obey God’s moral law to be saved, we do seek to obey it because we are saved. Note the phrase “If we say” in vs. 6, 8, 10. Notice the three “liars” described in these verses:

1. Lying about FELLOWSHIP, vs. 6-7.

2. Lying about OUR NATURE, v. 8.

3. Lying about OUR DEEDS, v. 10.

There is a difference between saying and living. Too many Christians have good things to say about their walk with God, but their lives say something different. It is sad that some talk about spiritual things, but who do not practice them.