Which Jesus brings eternal life, and forgiveness of sins? Verses 1, 5 and 12 beg the question, “Do you have the right Jesus, the only one, who brings the new birth and eternal life?” Why does John belabor this point? Why does he urge his readers to make sure they place their faith in so […]
Chapter 4, verses 20-21 leave those of us who lay claim to loving God with a command – “love your brother also!” Which in turn leaves us with a dangling question: Just who is my brother? Our text this morning goes on to answer that question.
Perfect love casts our fear – Just what in the world does that mean? Is it that if we keep a general loving attitude that we’ll never experience or suffer from fear in any area of our life? In other words, is this an anxiety management verse that if implemented in counseling will mitigate feelings […]
When we pause to consider the man on the Roman cross in the middle, and then we turn and look at ourselves. We can’t help but see and know and feel what real love is. Selfless love, the deep, deep love of God. Since we have been so very loved and are kept by the […]
“Test the spirits.” A snippet of a verse that we all know. What on earth does it mean? Is John pointing out some extra-sensory perception that special Christians have? Are believers to tune up some special, spiritual gift-given antennae with which they can discern the unseen world of demonic forces and beings? Or is John […]
1 John 3:21-24 If we stand back to get the bigger picture, we see a design theme to what John is building in this epistle: 1 John 2:28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. The […]
The unbeliever, the one who is not regenerate, who is not in Christ through faith in Him, abides in an unbroken slavery to their sin nature. He/she lives in spiritual death, and naturally does the things and has the attitudes of that nature. This even includes hatred. Jesus the Son came in the flesh to […]
1 John 3:7-12 (Focus on v9) Compasses are curiously simply yet genius devices. When held upright and steady, they point to the magnetic north pole, and with that and a little knowledge, one can reliably find their way. But compasses are also easily upset. When un-level, or when vibrated or when around other magnetic sources […]
n 2:28-3:3 John sets the believer’s sight on the imminent and greatly anticipated Blessed Hope, the coming and appearance of our Christ in the rapture of His dear saints to be face to face with Him our Savior! John does this to help the believer rest and regulate their thoughts and behavior in the assurance […]
1 John 3:1-3 Have you ever pondered how different, how unusual, how strange, how…exotic it is that we would be loved by God? It is natural for human parents to love their own human children. And animals take care of their own offspring. But God is spirit, invisible, immaterial, eternal, and we are made of […]