Introduction to 1 John

What is the purpose of this letter?

5:11-13
- Reassurance that I am a Christian  do I have the Son?

Indication 1 – I believe truths about Jesus

Read 1:1-4, 2:18-27, 4:1-6, 4:14-15, 5:6-15
What truths about Jesus are given here?
- 1v1-4: Jesus is from God/God’s Christ
- 4v2: Jesus was made flesh 4v14: Jesus is the Saviour of the world
- 5v11: Jesus can give eternal life
How do believers believe the truths about Jesus?
- Accept disciples’ writings  know Jesus  know God
How are the false prophets/antichrists different from believers?
- Deny disciples’ writings  deny Jesus  deny Jesus is from God  don’t know God
If you had to draw a Venn diagram of things that are of God, of the devil and of the world,
how would you do it?
Where would you put believers/non-believers?
Application: Be reassured that because you accept the disciples’ writings and know Jesus and
therefore know God, you are of God, i.e. you are a believer

Indication 2 – I am a sinner, but Jesus cleanses me from sin

Read 1:5-2:2, 3:4-10, 5:16-21
How do believers relate to sin?
- Believers = sinners, but Jesus cleanses us from sin
In 1:5-2:2, how can believers be cleansed?
- Believing in Jesus  Jesus atones for our sins
Which ideas make sense and which ideas are confusing in 5:16-21?
If you had to draw a Venn diagram of light and dark, how would you do it?
What do people in the light do? What do people in the dark do?
- Light: sin, admit that they sin, confess their sins, are forgiven
- Dark: sin, not admit that they sin/not recognise that sin is a problem for relating to
God
Believers walk in the light, i.e. we live constantly in a cycle of sin and forgiveness: sin  light
reveals sin  we confess sin  Jesus has already atoned for our sins yay  cycle again
Application: Be reassured that because you admit that you sin and you confess your sins, you
are forgiven, and you walk in the light, i.e. you are a believer

Indication 3 – I (try to) love other Christians

Read 2:7-11, 3:11-18, 4:7-21
How do believers treat other Christians?
- Love them in deed and in truth
- Lay down our lives for one another/serve each other in the humblest way; help each
other in their need
Why do believers love?
- Abide in the light and in God, and vice versa
God loves believers  God demonstrates His love for us by sending His Son to die for us 
we grasp something of this amazing love  we abide in the light, and in God, and vice versa
 so we love one another (TANGIBLE)  when we see we love one another (both should and
compelled to; TANGIBLE)  we are assured that we are Christians
Application: Be reassured that because you love other Christians, and love is from God,
therefore you are born of God and you know God, i.e. you are a believer

Indication 4 – I keep God’s commandments

Read 2:3-6, 2:28-3:3, 3:19-24
How do believers relate to God’s commandments?
- Keep God’s commandments, practice righteousness, do what pleases Him
- i.e. believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another
In 3:19-24, how do God’s commands and loving your brothers and sisters relate?
- Love one another, just has He commanded us
If you had to draw a Venn diagram of believers and non-believers, how would you do it?
What do false believers do?
- Do not keep God’s commandments
What do believers do?
- Keep God’s commandments, practice righteousness
- (Try to) walk in the same way as Jesus did
- Hope in Jesus
Application: Be reassured that because you try to keep God’s commandments, you know God,
i.e. you are a believer

Conclusion to 1 John
Read 2:3, 3:4, 3:19-24, 4:13, 5:1-5, 5:13
How do we know we are believers?
- We keep God’s commandments to 1) love one another and 2) believe truths about
God
- This reassures us that we know God and are therefore believers
Fine, we are believers – so what?
- We will have eternal life with God
- God will hear and answer our prayers according to His will
Application: Be reassured that you are a believer and be reminded of the privileges we have
because of that, both now in this world and in the New Creation