Read 1 John 4:7-12.
Do you have any questions? Is anything not clear?
If so, do a word study or use cross-references to learn more.
Read 1 John 4:13-16.
Get out your "What We Know/How We Know It" chart.
What does verse 13 say that we know?
How do we know it?
Add those things to your chart.
What does verse 12 tell us about beholding or seeing God?
Although we haven't had the experience of seeing God, how do we experience God?
What does verse 14 tell us that we have beheld or seen? What did the Father do?
Who is the Savior of the world?
From just verses 12-14, what do we have from the Father?
What makes it possible for believers to love one another?
What is the source of that love?
Although a person can't directly see or behold God, how would God be evident in believers' lives?
Read 1 John 4:14-16.
If someone abides in God and God abides in him, what would he confess?
And what did verse 14 tell us about this Son of God?
In another blog, we talked about the opposite of "confess."
What is the opposite of "confess"?
In 1 John 2:22-23, who did John tell us denies the Father and the Son?
What does John tell us in 2:23 about those who confess the Son?
In verses 12-16, what do you notice about abiding?
How can we have this two-way abiding, where we abide in God and God abides in us?
If you have time, read John 15:1-17 to read John's report of what Jesus said about abiding.
How is your abiding?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Main Topic
Read 1 John 4:7-5:3.
What's the main topic of this section?
If you don't mind marking your Bible, mark that word with a colored pencil or marker. Underline or circle it each time it occurs.
List everything that this section teaches you about this topic. When I wrote my list, it took up a whole typewritten page, so it's going to be a long list.
Use your list to answer these questions:
What's the main topic of this section?
If you don't mind marking your Bible, mark that word with a colored pencil or marker. Underline or circle it each time it occurs.
List everything that this section teaches you about this topic. When I wrote my list, it took up a whole typewritten page, so it's going to be a long list.
Use your list to answer these questions:
- Who is love?
- What don't you find in perfect love?
- How did God demonstrate His love for us?
- What shows that we love God?
- What do we learn about perfect love?
- If you love God, whom should you also love?
- Why should we love one another?
- What do we know about those who love one another (their brothers)?
- What happens when we love one another?
- What do we know about those who don't love one another (their brothers)?
Write a three or four sentence paragraph that would sum up what John teaches us about love in this section.
How does knowing these things impact your life?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Spiritual Discernment
Read 1 John 3:24-4:6.
Who abides in or lives in fellowship with Him?
In whom does He abide?
What did we learn was His commandment? (1 John 3:23)
From verse 24, what can we add to our "What we know/How we know it" chart? What do we know? How do we know it?
What did John tell them about this Spirit in 1 John 2:27?
Why does he say they have to test the spirits?
How does this compare to what John told them in 1 John 2:18?
What does 1 John 2:22 tell them about these antichrists?
Do you think these "false prophets" that John mentions in 4:1 are "antichrists"? (See verse 4:3.)
What does John say that the believers know in 4:2? Add that to your chart.
How do they know who has the Spirit of God? Add that to your chart.
What does John tell them about themselves in 4:4?
If your version uses "them," who is "them"?
What other names has John given them?
Who does John tell them is greater than he who is in the world?
Who is it that lives in the believers? (See verse 3:24.)
Who is "he who is in the world"? (See 3:7-10.)
If your version uses "they" in verse 5, who are "they"?
Who listens to them?
Who do you think "we" is in verse 6? Who listens to them? Who does not listen to them?
What does verse 4:6 say that we know?
How do we know it?
Add that information to your chart.
What struck you as you studied these passages? How might what you learned affect the way you think, believe, or behave?
Who abides in or lives in fellowship with Him?
In whom does He abide?
What did we learn was His commandment? (1 John 3:23)
From verse 24, what can we add to our "What we know/How we know it" chart? What do we know? How do we know it?
What did John tell them about this Spirit in 1 John 2:27?
Why does he say they have to test the spirits?
How does this compare to what John told them in 1 John 2:18?
What does 1 John 2:22 tell them about these antichrists?
Do you think these "false prophets" that John mentions in 4:1 are "antichrists"? (See verse 4:3.)
What does John say that the believers know in 4:2? Add that to your chart.
How do they know who has the Spirit of God? Add that to your chart.
What does John tell them about themselves in 4:4?
If your version uses "them," who is "them"?
What other names has John given them?
Who does John tell them is greater than he who is in the world?
Who is it that lives in the believers? (See verse 3:24.)
Who is "he who is in the world"? (See 3:7-10.)
If your version uses "they" in verse 5, who are "they"?
Who listens to them?
Who do you think "we" is in verse 6? Who listens to them? Who does not listen to them?
What does verse 4:6 say that we know?
How do we know it?
Add that information to your chart.
What struck you as you studied these passages? How might what you learned affect the way you think, believe, or behave?
Confidence
Here's 1 John 3:18-23 NASB:
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
19 We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him,
20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
How do we know that we are of the truth? (verse 18)
What's one of the benefits of doing that? How will our heart be affected?
Why is it good to have an assurance of our hearts?
What are some ways in which your heart might condemn you?
What does verse 20 say about God?
So, if we actively love the brethren, but still have a condemning heart, what do we know?
If we know that God sees us actively showing our righteousness through love for the brethren, then our condemning heart can be silenced. When that happens, what does verse 21 tell us we have before God?
Look up "confidence" for 1 John 3:21 in Strong's and Vine's. If you don't have these two books, do the study online. www.tgm.org/bible.htm If you've forgotten the steps in how to do that, look back at the directions in the blog titled "Word Study of 'Manifested'" from February 3, 2010.
What do you learn about "confidence"?
What happens because we have this confidence? (verse 22)
John uses "confidence" three times in this letter. The first time he used it is in verse 2:28. If we abide in Him, we can be confident at His coming. This second time we can be confident in our asking of Him. Let's look ahead at the third time because it will help us understand what John is saying this second time.
Read 1John 5:14.
What do we learn about that which we ask?
Why do we receive what we ask from Him?
What does 1 John 3:23 say is His commandment?
How does verse 23 relate to verse 18? What is the deed? What is the truth?
How is your confidence before God? If your heart is condemning you, what do you know? How will that make a difference in your walk?
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
19 We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him,
20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
How do we know that we are of the truth? (verse 18)
What's one of the benefits of doing that? How will our heart be affected?
Why is it good to have an assurance of our hearts?
What are some ways in which your heart might condemn you?
What does verse 20 say about God?
So, if we actively love the brethren, but still have a condemning heart, what do we know?
If we know that God sees us actively showing our righteousness through love for the brethren, then our condemning heart can be silenced. When that happens, what does verse 21 tell us we have before God?
Look up "confidence" for 1 John 3:21 in Strong's and Vine's. If you don't have these two books, do the study online. www.tgm.org/bible.htm If you've forgotten the steps in how to do that, look back at the directions in the blog titled "Word Study of 'Manifested'" from February 3, 2010.
What do you learn about "confidence"?
What happens because we have this confidence? (verse 22)
John uses "confidence" three times in this letter. The first time he used it is in verse 2:28. If we abide in Him, we can be confident at His coming. This second time we can be confident in our asking of Him. Let's look ahead at the third time because it will help us understand what John is saying this second time.
Read 1John 5:14.
What do we learn about that which we ask?
Why do we receive what we ask from Him?
What does 1 John 3:23 say is His commandment?
How does verse 23 relate to verse 18? What is the deed? What is the truth?
How is your confidence before God? If your heart is condemning you, what do you know? How will that make a difference in your walk?
What we know/How we know it #2
For this section, you'll need to pull out your "What we know/How we know it" chart that you started earlier. If you didn't start one, go back to the blog called "What we know/How we know it" and start a chart.
Read 1 John 3:2-18.
What does verse 3:2 tell believers that they know? How do they know it? Add that information to your chart.
What does verse 3:14 tell believers that they know? How do they know that they have passed out of death into life? Add that information.
What does verse 16 tell believers that they know? How do they know it?
Perhaps, in reading these verses, you're asking yourself: What happens if a believer hates a believer? Does that mean that he doesn't have eternal life?
Notice that John doesn't say that person doesn't possess eternal life, just that he doesn't have it abiding within him. A believer who hates his brother is essentially living in the same realm as those who are of the world. He or she is not enjoying that intimate fellowship with the Father and the Son that comes from obeying God's command to love one another. Eternal life is not dwelling in his heart so long as the hatred or spirit of murder is there. So, what should a believer do when he or she realizes that he or she hates another believer?
Because Christ laid down His life for us, what does verse 16 tell us that we should do?
How would this verse speak to a believer who hates another believer?
Read verse 17.
How does this verse relate to what we've just read?
Read verse 18.
How does this verse relate to what we've just read?
Read 1 John 3:7.
From what we've been reading in these verses, what's one way for a believer to practice righteousness?
Read the first part of 1 John 3:19.
What shall the believer know? Write that on your chart.
Refer back to verse 18. How shall the believer know it?
What do you think "of the truth" means? To Whom is it referring?
What would be the contrast that would apply to someone living in the world?
Read over your list of what a believer knows and how they know it.
How would knowing these things help a believer to walk in the light?
Read 1 John 3:2-18.
What does verse 3:2 tell believers that they know? How do they know it? Add that information to your chart.
What does verse 3:14 tell believers that they know? How do they know that they have passed out of death into life? Add that information.
What does verse 16 tell believers that they know? How do they know it?
Perhaps, in reading these verses, you're asking yourself: What happens if a believer hates a believer? Does that mean that he doesn't have eternal life?
Notice that John doesn't say that person doesn't possess eternal life, just that he doesn't have it abiding within him. A believer who hates his brother is essentially living in the same realm as those who are of the world. He or she is not enjoying that intimate fellowship with the Father and the Son that comes from obeying God's command to love one another. Eternal life is not dwelling in his heart so long as the hatred or spirit of murder is there. So, what should a believer do when he or she realizes that he or she hates another believer?
Because Christ laid down His life for us, what does verse 16 tell us that we should do?
How would this verse speak to a believer who hates another believer?
Read verse 17.
How does this verse relate to what we've just read?
Read verse 18.
How does this verse relate to what we've just read?
Read 1 John 3:7.
From what we've been reading in these verses, what's one way for a believer to practice righteousness?
Read the first part of 1 John 3:19.
What shall the believer know? Write that on your chart.
Refer back to verse 18. How shall the believer know it?
What do you think "of the truth" means? To Whom is it referring?
What would be the contrast that would apply to someone living in the world?
Read over your list of what a believer knows and how they know it.
How would knowing these things help a believer to walk in the light?
Practicing Righteousness or Practicing Sin?
Read 1 John 3:7-13.
Which two groups of people does John contrast in this passage?
According to verse 11, what is the message that they've heard from the beginning?
Which of those two groups would you expect to do that?
What does verse 12 tell us about Cain?
What does verse 12 tell us about Cain's brother, Abel?
Why does it say that Cain killed Abel?
How does this example of Cain and Abel illustrate the statements that John made in verses 7 through 10?
How does verse 13 relate to verse 12?
Read John 15:17-19 and John 17:13-17. What does John tell his readers in his gospel message that is the same as he's telling them in this letter?
What did you read in this section that caught your attention? How might this information impact your walk in the light?
Which two groups of people does John contrast in this passage?
According to verse 11, what is the message that they've heard from the beginning?
Which of those two groups would you expect to do that?
What does verse 12 tell us about Cain?
What does verse 12 tell us about Cain's brother, Abel?
Why does it say that Cain killed Abel?
How does this example of Cain and Abel illustrate the statements that John made in verses 7 through 10?
How does verse 13 relate to verse 12?
Read John 15:17-19 and John 17:13-17. What does John tell his readers in his gospel message that is the same as he's telling them in this letter?
What did you read in this section that caught your attention? How might this information impact your walk in the light?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Children of God
Read 1 John 2:29-3:10.
What phrase or concept is repeated in this section?
Divide a piece of paper in half.
On the left side, write "children of God, born of God."
What phrase does John use in this section of his letter that contrasts with "children of God"?
Write that phrase on the right side of your chart.
Let's see what this section teaches us about each.
(2:29) Who practices righteousness (does what is right)? Write "practices righteousness" or "does what is right" under the correct heading.
(3:1) Upon whom has the Father bestowed such a great love? Write "the Father's great love" under the correct heading. For each question, place what they have or do or don't have under the correct heading.
(3:1) Who does not know God or His children?
(3:2) Who will eventually be like Him?
(3:3) Who purifies himself?
(3:4) Who practices sin and lawlessness?
(3:6) Who doesn't sin?
(3:6) Who doesn't see or know Him?
(3:7) Who practices righteousness or practices doing what is right?
(3:8) Who practices sin?
(3:9) Who doesn't practice sin?
(3:9) Who has God's seed or life or nature within them?
(3:10) Who does not practice righteousness?
(3:10) Who does not love his brother?
Read each of your lists. What stands out for you? What do you learn?
Does John believe that everyone who is born of God acts righteously 24/7?
How do you know that John doesn't believe that?
What has he previously said that shows he realizes that those born of God are capable of sinning?
See 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1.
From what John writes, it appears that the antichrists may have had a soft attitude toward sin. If you recall, they considered ignorance the sin from which you needed to be saved. John is pointing out the seriousness of sin. Sin is never a result of seeing and knowing God. It is not a part of the experience of abiding in Christ. Sin must be abnormal and unnatural for the believer. The focus of a believer's life must be away from sin and toward righteousness. A Christian, living on this earth, will always struggle with the flesh, but with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he can overcome impulses that lead to sin. God's seed or nature is bestowed upon the believer at the time of his or her salvation. A Christian who sins is concealing who he or she truly is--a child of God.
Read Galatians 5:16-26.
What phrase or concept is repeated in this section?
Divide a piece of paper in half.
On the left side, write "children of God, born of God."
What phrase does John use in this section of his letter that contrasts with "children of God"?
Write that phrase on the right side of your chart.
Let's see what this section teaches us about each.
(2:29) Who practices righteousness (does what is right)? Write "practices righteousness" or "does what is right" under the correct heading.
(3:1) Upon whom has the Father bestowed such a great love? Write "the Father's great love" under the correct heading. For each question, place what they have or do or don't have under the correct heading.
(3:1) Who does not know God or His children?
(3:2) Who will eventually be like Him?
(3:3) Who purifies himself?
(3:4) Who practices sin and lawlessness?
(3:6) Who doesn't sin?
(3:6) Who doesn't see or know Him?
(3:7) Who practices righteousness or practices doing what is right?
(3:8) Who practices sin?
(3:9) Who doesn't practice sin?
(3:9) Who has God's seed or life or nature within them?
(3:10) Who does not practice righteousness?
(3:10) Who does not love his brother?
Read each of your lists. What stands out for you? What do you learn?
Does John believe that everyone who is born of God acts righteously 24/7?
How do you know that John doesn't believe that?
What has he previously said that shows he realizes that those born of God are capable of sinning?
See 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1.
From what John writes, it appears that the antichrists may have had a soft attitude toward sin. If you recall, they considered ignorance the sin from which you needed to be saved. John is pointing out the seriousness of sin. Sin is never a result of seeing and knowing God. It is not a part of the experience of abiding in Christ. Sin must be abnormal and unnatural for the believer. The focus of a believer's life must be away from sin and toward righteousness. A Christian, living on this earth, will always struggle with the flesh, but with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he can overcome impulses that lead to sin. God's seed or nature is bestowed upon the believer at the time of his or her salvation. A Christian who sins is concealing who he or she truly is--a child of God.
Read Galatians 5:16-26.
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